The Right Not to Know (Read this. And then read it again the day before the election. Please.)

'We Have No Choice': One Woman's Ordeal with Texas' New Sonogram LawThe painful decision to terminate a pregnancy is now—thanks to Texas' harsh new law—just the beginning of the torment.by Carolyn Jones

Halfway through my pregnancy, I learned that my baby was ill. Profoundly so. My doctor gave us the news kindly, but still, my husband and I weren’t prepared. Just a few minutes earlier, we’d been smiling giddily at fellow expectant parents as we waited for the doctor to see us. In a sonography room smelling faintly of lemongrass, I’d just had gel rubbed on my stomach, just seen blots on the screen become tiny hands. For a brief, exultant moment, we’d seen our son—a brother for our 2-year-old girl.

--snip--

My counselor said that the law required me to have another ultrasound that day, and that I was legally obligated to hear a doctor describe my baby. I’d then have to wait 24 hours before coming back for the procedure. She said that I could either see the sonogram or listen to the baby’s heartbeat, adding weakly that this choice was mine.

“I don’t want to have to do this at all,” I told her. “I’m doing this to prevent my baby’s suffering. I don’t want another sonogram when I’ve already had two today. I don’t want to hear a description of the life I’m about to end. Please,” I said, “I can’t take any more pain.” I confess that I don’t know why I said that. I knew it was fait accompli. The counselor could no more change the government requirement than I could. Yet here was a superfluous layer of torment piled upon an already horrific day, and I wanted this woman to know it.

--snip--

“I’m so sorry that I have to do this,” the doctor told us, “but if I don’t, I can lose my license.” Before he could even start to describe our baby, I began to sob until I could barely breathe. Somewhere, a nurse cranked up the volume on a radio, allowing the inane pronouncements of a DJ to dull the doctor’s voice. Still, despite the noise, I heard him. His unwelcome words echoed off sterile walls while I, trapped on a bed, my feet in stirrups, twisted away from his voice.

2. Fucking stupid liar deserves to die raped in jail

“I’m so sorry that I have to do this,” the doctor told us

He doesn't. All he has to do is not do it.

So he loses his job.

Big fucking deal. Waah.

It's better to become a serial rapist than lose your job? Fuck that. The guy deserves to be on the street, dying of perfectly treatable diseases that we refuse to treat him for. And his whole town needs to treat him like the rapist he is, and a whiny little twit of one at that.

The only thing even MORE pathetic and dishonest would be to meet this doctor out on some picket line, trying to get someone else to stop him from doing something he's not willing to stop himself from doing.

8. It is down. I was just reading there earlier too.

9. Been trying since the OP and never could read it,

even the Texas Observer main page. Hope it's up soon.

I don't know what happened but it seems entirely plausible that somebody out there didn't want this message heard. Probably also hollering about Rush L being 'silenced' and the injustice of it all. Pure speculation.